UN ANNO DOPO LA CADUTA DI KABUL, CONSEGUENZE PER LA PROFESSIONE FORENSE La precipitosa caduta di Kabul in mano ai Talebani il 15 agosto 2021 e il ristabilimento del governo talebano hanno posto fine a 20 anni di sviluppo sociale e di costruzione dello Stato di diritto. Questa situazione ha provocato la fuga dall’Afghanistan di migliaia di persone, tra cui numerosi avvocati, giudici e procuratori.  Molti di loro si trovano attualmente in Pakistan, Iran o negli Emirati Arabi Uniti in attesa di trovare un paese ospitante. Le loro condizioni di vita sono particolarmente difficili e i tempi di attesa per il trattamento delle domande di visto sono sempre più lunghi. Una delle prime decisioni del nuovo Ministero della Giustizia talebano è stata quella di richiedere a tutti gli avvocati afghani l’obbligo di un esame di abilitazione per continuare a esercitare la professione. Il 23 novembre 2021, un gruppo di talebani armati ha preso il controllo dell’Afghan Independent Bar Association (AIBA) per conto del governo. Da allora, i Talebani hanno avuto accesso al database dell’AIBA, che include informazioni personali dettagliate su famiglie e clienti degli avvocati, mettendoli a serio rischio di ritorsioni. L’Osservatorio internazionale per gli avvocati in pericolo (OIAD) sta […]

After two years of working remotely, on 20 May 2022 the International Observatory for Lawyers at Risk finally convened in Rome for its annual General Assembly. Members of the Observatory were able to participate in person or online in the meeting as well as in an open conference organised the day before to make the work of the OIAD more visible.   Conference on the role of lawyers in building the rule of law  On Thursday 19 May, the conference on the role of lawyers in the construction of the rule of law was held. Maria Masi, President of the Consiglio Nationale Forense, welcomed the participants and praised the work of the Observatory. Francesco Caia, President of the International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger, introduced the conference by stating that “The best way to exert effective pressure on governments and authorities is to multiply debates and meetings, involving citizens; to publicise the facts and circumstances that lead to the erosion of the rule of law in many countries of the world, telling the stories, the intimidation, the unjust arrests, the arbitrary convictions and, unfortunately, in the most serious cases, the violence and murders of lawyers. “  David Ermini, vice-president of […]

Il 19 maggio 2022, l’Osservatorio organizza una conferenza online

The International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger supports the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective in the context of the Cajar v. Colombian State hearings before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. This is the first case of illegal intelligence against human rights lawyers to reach the IACHR.  Alfredo Irujo, member of the executive committee of the Observatory, has denounced on behalf of the Observatory, the impunity for acts that violate the privacy and professional secrecy of CAJAR and all lawyers in Colombia. It also affirms that the hearings before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on 12 and 13 May should make it possible to measure the impact of these threats to the work and life of human rights defenders in Colombia, as well as to point the way towards the comprehensive protection of the work and of human rights defenders.    Finally, it encourages the Colombian state to provide concrete and transparent information on the identification of the victims of illegal eavesdropping activities. In such a way that they can exercise their right of access to justice and effective measures are taken so that these serious human rights violations are not repeated and are clarified.  

Osman Kavala, publisher, sponsor and human rights defender, who has been arbitrarily imprisoned for the past four and a half years, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Lawyer Can Atalay and six other defendants were sentenced to 18 years in prison, without any evidence.  Osman Kavala was, on 25 April 2022, convicted by the 13th Istanbul Assize Court of “attempting to overthrow the government” under Article 312/1 of the Turkish Penal Code in the Gezi Park trial. Nearly 5 million people participated in the peaceful Gezi Park protests across the country in 2013, marking the beginning of the authoritarian and repressive drift of the Turkish authorities in major Turkish cities.  Lawyer Can Atalay, as well as the architect Mücella Yapıcı, the producer Çiğdem Mater, the Bogazici University Science Po director Hakan Altınay, the documentary film director Mine Özerden, the architect Tayfun Kahraman, and the professor Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi, were sentenced to 18 years in prison by the same court, on political grounds.  This verdict not only contradicts the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, which condemned Turkey for violating Osman Kavala’s right to freedom, imprisoned “with the aim of silencing him”, but also exposes once again the lack […]